• zabasearch.com - find a person
• loanconsolidation.ed.gov - student loan information
• edmunds.com - get car values
• carsdirect.com - get car values and rebate info
• Hotwire
• Priceline
• BiddingforTravel - tips for bidding at Priceline
• betterbidding.com - tips on bidding
• tripadvisor.com - honest hotel info
• ehealthinsurance.com - compare health plans

It’s much safer on the roads today than it was in the 80s, even though there are 53 percent more vehicles on the road, according to the Dallas Morning News. That is great news! Why? Road design is so much better than it used to be and cars are designed much better than they used to be. As a result, there are fewer accidents. Stability control, which keeps us from overcorrecting, and accident avoidance equipment are just a few of the additions that prevent injury and death. There is a reverse negative effect for one group, however. Body shops are hurting for business. Fewer accidents mean less work for auto repair shops. But overall the news is good.

When you receive a money order or cashier’s check from someone for a car, boat or other large purchase, you probably think it’s legit because it looks so officials. But phony cashier’s checks and money orders is a growing problem. The number of fake cashier’s checks more than tripled in the past five years and grew more than 50 percent in the past year. It’s possible because of the high quality printers out there today. They’re so good that even people in the banking business think they’re real. The fact that the clearance process is so antiquated makes the situation even worse. In 2006, it would be very easy to electronically verify that a cashier’s check is real. But banks don’t want to do that because they have less responsibility the current way and they want to keep it that way. So, anytime you receive a cashier’s check you want to meet the buyer at the bank and get real money from the bank in return.

The changes coming in the student loan program affect people who already have loans AND those who are taking out new loans. It’s a major overhaul and you need to pay attention regardless of your situation. Clark wants to give you a recap. Recent college graduates normally wouldn’t get around to consolidating their loans for about six months. But that luxury doesn’t exist for them anymore. They need to lock in their rate immediately because come July 1 the rates will go up dramatically. People in that situation can lock in for about 4 percent. Those who graduated more than six months ago or who dropped out of school a while ago and never consolidated can lock in now for a little more than five percent. If you took out a PLUS loan for your child, you want to consolidate as well. You will fix the loan at about 6 percent instead of paying the new, higher 8.5 percent rate. If you have a son or daughter in college right now, you want to do what’s called in-school consolidation. That normally wouldn’t happen until about six months after they graduate, but things are different now. You will avoid the much higher rate that goes into effect after July 1. To get started, click here. It's a government site that will walk you through the process.

It’s a tough market right now for GM and Ford. GM has reported car sales down 20 percent this year and Ford is having the same difficulties. As a result, these companies are offering huge incentives. For example, Ford’s Expedition is the biggest gas guzzler out there, getting between 9 and 11 miles to the gallon. That’s awful and people simply aren’t buying them. So, Ford is offering a combination of incentives of up to $13,000 with its “Drive on Us” program. When you buy a vehicle, you need to know up front all the incentives that are out there. The incentive packages are available at Edmunds.com, so check them out. It’s also a good idea to check out carsdirect.com, which gives prices and the ability to buy right on the site. It may not be the best price, but it will be convenient.

The hotel business is in a much better position than the airline business these days. In the past few years, the airlines have generated losses exceeding all the money ever made in the industry. On the other hand, hotels collectively made a profit of $23 billion. The average room rate went over $90 for the first year in 2005, and this year it could go over $100. One reason is that hotels haven’t been adding rooms, yet demand for those rooms has gone up. That allows hotels to charge more. In addition, hotels are being upgraded and rooms are being redone. It’s another reason they can charge more. But it’s still possible to get a deal. Clark is a big fan of using specific Web sites to save money on hotels. First of all, biddingfortravel.com is a free guide to using Priceline and Hotwire. Hotwire is much easier to use than Priceline, but Clark has had good experiences on both. Now, it’s important to note that Hotwire inflates its hotel ratings by about one star, while Priceline boosts them about half a star. Clark uses Priceline to book about three-fourths of the hotels he stays in. He likes to stick with three stars as a rule because you never know what you’re going to get below that. He used it this summer to bid on a hotel in Manchester, England and he got it for about 45 pounds. That’s great! The downside is that the bookings are non-refundable, so once you book it you own it. But it’s still possible to get great hotel prices these days. A few others to try, according to Consumer Reports, are betterbidding.com and tripadvisor.com.